If all you wanted was me (then I'll give you nothing less)
by KatBauer
Summary: "Hey, it's okay," she said, slowly running her fingers through his hair to soothe him. "You don't have to say it back. Just thought you'd like to know."


**A/N:** I feel like I need to explain this one a little bit, since I can't link you guys to the post this is based on. Basically, I have this headcanon where I'm almost sure no one has ever said "I love you" to Ward and how there's also a very high probability that he hasn't said those words to anyone, either. So bearing that in mind, I decided to write this (moderately angsty) one shot.

* * *

"You're an idiot," Skye nearly growled, her frustration getting the best of her.

"Sorry," he mumbled, wincing.

"Yeah, you said that five times already," she snapped, and her fingertips pressed against his shoulder just that bit harder, making him clench his jaw in pain.

Skye bit her lip, feeling somewhat guilty, but didn't ease on the pressure. He was bleeding and it was his own damn fault for trying to play hero.

Though in all honesty, they should have known better than to try to take down a HYDRA cell on their own. No amount of training could have prepared her enough to face the dozen Centipede soldiers standing guard at the entrance of the facility.

And no matter how many times they found themselves in a very similar situation, watching him getting shot right in front of her was not something she would ever get used to.

Nor did she want to.

"What were you thinking," she said between gritted teeth, breaking the silence as she reached for the gauze and the antiseptic while her other hand kept applying pressure on his wound.

"He was going to shoot you," he answered. "I wasn't going to let that happen."

"I can take care of myself, Ward," Skye said, and he hissed in response. Whether because of the pain or at her words, she wasn't exactly sure.

"Skye," he said, trying to meet her eyes.

When she didn't answer, he watched in resigned silence as she slowly removed her hand and began to clean the wound. And even though he could tell she was upset with him, the tender way in which she patched him up, making sure to avoid causing him any more unnecessary pain, was making his heart ache for some reason that he could not quite understand.

"Don't ever do that to me again," she said glaring at him, and he frowned at the way her voice cracked on the last word.

When she was done, she ran her fingertips over the bandage and then along his collarbone, pressing her palm against his chest and over his heart. She kissed the corner of his mouth and smiled when he turned his face to kiss her.

"I love you," she murmured against his lips.

The words caught him completely off guard, and the way he instantly tensed made Skye pull away, her eyes searching his with concern.

"Hey, it's okay," she said, slowly running her fingers through his hair to soothe him. "You don't have to say it back. Just thought you'd like to know."

He swallowed hard, suddenly unable to meet her eyes, and then pushed himself off the table he'd been leaning against, and away from her, grabbing his shirt on the way and mumbling something that sounded like an apology mixed with a 'thanks' before exiting the room.

Skye watched him leave and then squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall, and mentally kicking herself for opening her mouth.

Apparently, the only idiot in the room was her.

**xxx**

"Ward, I'm serious, _I'm fine_," Skye said for what it felt like the umpteenth time in the past fifteen minutes.

His hands were shaking slightly until one finally settled on her hip as he pulled her closer to inspect her, the other cupping her face and gently turning it to one side and then to the other, looking for any possible injuries.

Skye was this close to shoving him away, but something in the way he was staring at her, with such deep concern and a panicked expression, had kept her rooted in place, unable to move or pull away from him.

"What were you thinking," he said, throwing her own words back at her.

Skye rolled her eyes. "I did what I had to do, and you would've done the same."

He frowned, but didn't answer. His hands slid down her sides to her waist and, in one swift movement, he lifted her and sat her on the stool behind her.

"You're hurt," he pointed to her bleeding thigh, and Skye shrugged.

"Skin deep," she said with an almost petulant smirk. "Nothing to worry about."

Ward blinked at that, the words sounding all too familiar and bringing back memories of a time long since gone. He shook his head to try and keep his emotions in check before turning away from her to grab the supplies he needed.

He cut the fabric of her pants from around the wound so easily and with such ability that it made Skye wonder just how many times he'd had to do the same thing, and how many times he had gotten hurt on account of Garrett and his missions.

"It was supposed to be just a recon op," he muttered, pulling her out of her thoughts. "What the hell happened back there?"

"We were ambushed," Skye answered, her hands curling into fists as he cleaned the cut.

"I shouldn't have let you go in there alone."

"I wasn't alone," Skye pointed out. "And you couldn't know."

"If anything had happened to you, I-"

"Stop," Skye said. "You didn't know, none of us did."

He nodded in silence and finished bandaging her thigh, but when Skye tried to hop off the stool, he stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"About the other day-"

"You don't have to explain," Skye cut him off. "I get it, it's okay."

"No, I don't think you do. I never had… _that_," he said, grimacing at his own words. "No one's ever said that to me before."

Skye's eyes went wide. "Wait, are you-"

"Yeah, it- It's no big deal," he said dismissively, but Skye could see right through the lie. The embarrassment and the guilt were almost palpable.

"It is," Skye said. "Ward, it _is_," she insisted.

"Still, I shouldn't have run off on you like that," he said as he dropped his gaze down, ashamed.

"That doesn't matter anymore," Skye said softly, placing a finger under his chin and tilting his head up. "Hey, it's just me. And you can talk to me about anything. My shoulder's free, remember?"

He gave her a weak, thankful smile before leaning in to kiss her forehead, his lips lingering there just a moment too long.

"Have you-" Skye trailed off, biting her lip, unsure of how to properly word her question so it wouldn't come out horribly wrong. "Said it to someone?"

And there they were. The vulnerable, lost puppy eyes that tugged at Skye's heart almost painfully.

"No," he said, quietly, avoiding her gaze again.

"Never?"

He shook his head no. And suddenly it all made sense.

"I'm sorry," Skye said, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "I didn't mean to push you."

He looked up at that, brows furrowed. "Do you regret it? Saying it?"

"No," Skye answered with no hesitation and looking him straight in the eye. "And I wasn't… asking for anything or trying to get you to say it back. I care about you and you need to know that, and remember it. For future reference."

He took a step forward then, moving to stand between her legs, and cradling her face in his hands, he kissed her. It was hungry, and needy, and with such intensity that it made Skye's head spin as she fisted his shirt, pulling him closer while holding onto him to keep herself grounded.

It was when he broke away, breath ragged and heart pounding against his ribcage, that the words he had been struggling to say for so long, finally came out in a soft, nearly broken whisper.

"I love you," he said, eyes wide while desperately searching her face, terrified now that his feelings were out in the open and there was no going back.

But Skye simply grinned up at him and tugged on his shirt again, pulling him down to kiss all over his face.

"I love you, too. But you knew that already."


End file.
